Flesh Wounds
The Culture of Cosmetic Surgery
Chapter One
The Patient's Body
The Beginning
My first nose job was performed by an otolaryngologist (otherwise known as
an ear, nose, and throat doctor) who, in concert with my mother,
encouraged me to have surgery. Without consulting me, my mother made an
appointment and then convinced me to go with her-just to see what he had
to say. He had operated on the nose of a neighbor, and my mother liked her
result.
Having a parent criticize a physical feature is a complicated emotional
experience that induces both anger and guilt. You feel as though you have
let the parent down. Why didn't you come out right? At the same time, the
pervasive mythology of parent-child relations tells you that parents think
their children are perfect, no matter what. From my mother's perspective,
however, criticism of my nose didn't seem harm ... read full excerpt from Flesh Wounds: The Culture of Cosmetic Surgery ebook
